How do the different backing bands affect the Acoustic Mainlines sets?
Immensely! In New York, we had people from the Queens Choir—a 250-strong choir. And in L.A. it was more like Ray Charles’ country-and-western—but that’s good! Some of the shows have been deeply reverential and kind of hushed, and some of them are like those snake churches where they speak in tongues—jumping up and sitting down! Alan McGee said you make a classic every ten years—is that a good rate? It’s hard to grade your own record, you know! But Sly Stone did four in a row, didn’t he. You said before how you admire bands like the Cramps and Gun Clubs for informing people about the music they listened to—why is that important to you? I think it’s important because it’s kind of an homage—Tav Falco did as well. So much music is people trying to pass of other ideas or cop other people’s style and pass it off as their own. Those bands came with an incredible amount of style and said ‘This is where it’s from—if you like us, you’ll like this.’ Hasil Adkins or whatever. There’s a lineage to
